Knights rally from 11 down in 4th

Knights rally from 11 down in 4th

1of10Knight running back De'Quavion Thomas breaks to the outside in the first quarter as Steele hosts Bowie in first round playoff action at Lehnhoff Stadium on November 16, 2018.Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographer

2of10Bulldog running back Terance Durst tries the left side for a gain as Steele hosts Bowie in first round playoff action at Lehnhoff Stadium on November 16, 2018.Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographer

5of10Knight running back Robert Collins speeds down the left sideline for an early touchdown and lead for his team as Steele hosts Bowie in first round playoff action at Lehnhoff Stadium on November 16, 2018.Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographer

7of10Knight running back Robert Collins is held up in the air in celebration by lineman Stanley Mark as Steele beats Bowie 18-17 in first round playoff action at Lehnhoff Stadium on November 16, 2018.Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographer

8of10Knight running back Robert Collins is held up in the air in celebration by lineman Stanley Mark as Steele beats Bowie 18-17 in first round playoff action at Lehnhoff Stadium on November 16, 2018.Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographer

9of10Knight defensive tackle Vincent Quintana sprints off the field with the ball after recovering a fumble which stopped a Bulldog threat of scoring late in the game allowing Steele to beat Bowie 18-17 in first round playoff action at Lehnhoff Stadium on November 16, 2018.Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographer

10of10Bulldog receiver Elijah Higgins, playing quarterback, eats up time and yardage in the second half as Steele hosts Bowie in first round playoff action at Lehnhoff Stadium on November 16, 2018.Photo: Tom Reel, Staff / Staff photographer

When Cibolo Steele took possession near midfield trailing by 11 early in the fourth quarter, quarterback Wyatt Begeal said his focus was keeping the Knights’ energy high.

After Begeal was held to just 7 passing yards in the first half, the Knights ran only five offensive plays in the third quarter as the Bulldogs seemingly took control of the game.

But Steele came alive in the fourth quarter, as Begeal connected with Jaylon Jones for two touchdown passes to secure an 18-17 win against Austin Bowie in a Class 6A Division II bidistrict playoff game Friday at Lehnhoff Stadium in Schertz.

Steele moves on to face Brandeis in the area round next week.

“Coach always says we have to stay positive, and momentum will come our way,” Begeal said. “Once we get rolling, we’re a hard snowball to stop, and we have the guys to get it done.”

Steele’s rally started when Bowie made a bad snap on a field goal attempt with a 17-6 lead on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Knights took over at the Bulldogs 46-yard line, and just 65 seconds later Begeal connected with Jones for a 15-yard score.

Steele began its next drive from its own 10 and marched the ball to Bowie’s 40. There, facing a fourth-and-2, Begeal saw that Bowie had jumped offside and used the free play to launch a 40-yard scoring pass to Jones down the left sideline, giving the Knights an 18-17 advantage with 6:59 remaining.

“Coach said go make a play, and that’s what I did,” Jones said. “Trying to do it for the guys, for the seniors. I wasn’t trying to make it the last one for them. I just had to do it for them.”

Bowie looked poised to make a methodical march for the winning score, lining up in a wildcat formation and running the ball with Elijah Higgins on 11 straight plays to move into the red zone. After a one-play breather, Higgins re-entered the game but couldn’t handle an errant snap, and Vincent Quintana jumped on the ball to give Steele possession with 2:25 to play.

Begeal ran for 49 yards on a third-and-3 play to ice the game. He finished 7-of-14 passing for 95 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, while also running 13 times for 85 yards.

“The first half, I don’t know if he was pressing or what the deal was,” Steele coach David Saenz said. “But in the second half he adjusted to the defense. He’s made plays for us all year, and hopefully he continues to do that for us.”

Higgins, a 6-foot-3 senior rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals, ESPN and 247, did not play in the first half and ran for a 36-yard touchdown on his first touch of the night, giving the Bulldogs the 17-6 lead. Higgins finished with 14 carries for 85 yards.

Bulldogs running back Terance Durst carried 20 times for 126 yards, while quarterback Evan Mallett completed 7 of 14 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 40 yards.

Steele struck first on the opening play of its second possession, as Robert Collins ran for a 57-yard touchdown and a 6-0 lead. Bowie cut the deficit in half with a 30-yard field goal late in the first quarter, then took the lead with a 36-yard touchdown pass just before halftime.

“I’m just proud of how our guys competed,” Saenz said. “Always believed, no matter how many points we were down, and just kept fighting.”